Unable to Battle
by Cute Chao
Summary: 'I said you owed me a Bidoof! Jirachi is not Bidoof! Jirachi has never been Bidoof! There's a million people who would trade but I refuse to take a Jirachi for a Bidoof'
1. Beaten Again

_A/N This is my first Pokemon fanfic so I hope I'm doing it okay. The world is a mix of the video games and the anime... They both make sense with certain things. The two main characters are OCs but I tried to make them balanced enough. I will, however, add in canon characters as well, although I don't know whether they'll be like they are in the anime ^^ _

**_Disclaimer: I do not own the Pokemon franchise. If I did then I would not be writing fanfiction. I'd be sitting on a large pile of money, laughing at all the common folks. I do, however, own both Zenelle and any other OCs that appear in this. Mine Mine Mine! ...Unfortunately they won't make me any money :(_**

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"Chimchar is unable to battle. Gym Leader Roark wins," the referee reported, holding up a red flag in his left hand. Zenelle ran to her downed Chimchar.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Flare. We were so close," she whispered to it, cuddling it close. "He was down to one Pokémon and everything!" Okay, so it had been a one on one match because her beloved Chimchar was her only Pokémon, but he was still down to his last.

"It was a good battle," Roark told her good-naturedly, despite it being the third such battle where his Geodude had come out without a scratch. He held out a hand to help her up. She scowled at him, unable to take her third loss quite so well as she stood up on her own.

"Just you wait, Roark. I'm going to beat you so hard next week... You'll be... Unable to battle for a whole week!" She decided. He sighed.

"Perhaps you should try catching other Pokémon," he suggested.

"Nope, I'll beat you with Flare," Zenelle retorted, turning her back on him and leaving. The last loss had been taken slightly better. The first, she had actually been polite. This wasn't fair! She hadn't won a single Pokémon battle so far and her friend, Senny, was well on her way to reaching their goal by now – Sunyshore Gym, home of the resident hottie Volkner. The first one to reach him was allowed to date him. Of course, he'd fall in love with them as soon as they beat him in a battle... If they beat him in a battle...

She hovered nervously inside the Pokécenter as she waited to see if Flare would be okay. She had become a regular there, having been regularly beaten. Even her attempts to catch Pokémon had been unsuccessful. Wurmple, Budew, Starly... Even Bidoof had escaped her. She had weakened them! She had made friends with them! She had done everything but as soon as she started chucking her balls around, they vanished.

"Urgh, I guess I ought to apologise to Roark as well. It's not his fault his Pokémon are good! ...No... It's not his fault he managed to train his Pokémon well. It's not Flare's fault. She tries her best. She'd be great with a good trainer," she groaned, as Nurse Joy came back with a happy looking Flare. Zenelle instantly held her arms out and Flare leapt into them, gibbering cheerfully. Flare was always cheerful, no matter how many times she fainted. "Thank you, Nurse Joy. I swear, next time we'll come back triumphant."

"Good luck," Nurse Joy replied, although her almost neutral tone failed to hide the disbelief. Zenelle tried to ignore the hidden laughter of the other trainers as she walked out. They didn't mean to be mean, but Zenelle had made a name for herself.

The two of them walked out, ignoring the bright sunshine. One of them still seemed happy and cheerful, skipping along, while her trainer dragged her feet behind. Flare stopped and waited for Zenelle to catch up before patting her leg comfortingly.

"Char, chimchar, char," she assured. Zenelle sighed, wishing she could understand. Good trainers could understand their Pokémon, or so she'd heard.

"Thanks, Flare. Next time, I swear. Now why don't we capture a Pokémon to help? Something with lots of water to wash that smirk off Roark's... Non-smirky face. Geez, I'm being really mean to him. He's not really bad looking himself, you know? But he is no Volkner! Volkner's my goal. Senny will not get him!"

"Char, chim!" Flare agreed, holding up a determined fist. Zenelle laughed and counted her Pokéballs. She still had the ten she'd started with. Not a single one had actually caught a Pokémon, so she had picked them up to try again. She was determined this time! She would win!

It wasn't long before the two spotted a wild Bidoof happily nibbling on some form of treat it had probably fished out of a rubbish bin. Zenelle put a finger to her lips and gently cupped a Pokéball, ready to tell Flare what to do. They would take this one unawares. They would capture it.

"Flare, I want you to leer at it before scratching it. These things frighten so easily you should have it fainted in seconds," she whispered. Flare nodded, pressing closer to the ground, much like a Meowth on the hunt. "Silently," Zenelle added, softly. Flare crept closer as the Bidoof happily nibbled away.

The Bidoof sat up suddenly, staring intently in the opposite direction to Flare. Zenelle bit her lip, sure it would run. Flare froze. The silence was almost overwhelming. Zenelle was certain her heartbeat was far too loud, and far too fast. In fact, it almost sounded like someone running very fast towards them. Zenelle glanced up, away from the Bidoof, to a figure that was quickly approaching.

"No, wait!" She cried as the Bidoof suddenly started to dig, quickly disappearing. "But you were meant to be mine!" She protested, running to it, before glaring at the boy and deliberately stepping into his path. He instantly forced himself to stop; pretty sure she wouldn't let him pass until she spoke her piece.

"Please let me pass. This is urgent," he panted. Zenelle opened her mouth to berate him but stopped when she saw just how exhausted he looked, almost as if he had been running for days. On close observation, she had to admit he was handsome, despite the fact he was dripping with sweat and his formerly pure white uniform was now torn and muddy. His black hair was long and heavily tangled, but it flopped artfully into dark green eyes...

"Char chim chimchar!" Flare protested, ignoring any rugged handsomeness. She had wanted to help capture a Bidoof! Zenelle snapped out of it.

"Oi, you, you owe me a Bidoof!" She cut in, hands on her hips. The stranger looked startled.

"P-Pardon?" He replied.

"You scared the Bidoof I had weakened off before I got a chance. You owe me a new one. Pay up," Zenelle responded, firmly.

The stranger regarded her hesitantly, before he suddenly smiled and pulled a Pokéball from his pocket. Zenelle was almost too surprised to catch it. She hadn't actually expected that to work!

"She may not be a Bidoof but perhaps this will pay my debt. Her name is Star. Please keep her safe and do not tell anyone about her," he begged. Zenelle's mouth opened and closed a few times, but she failed to respond before he ran off without a glance back. Finally her voice worked.

"W-Wait!" She called but he was already gone. She glanced back at the Pokéball in her hand – a luxury ball by the looks of it. "Flare... What do you think?"

"Chimchar," Flare replied, scratching her head.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was going to say," she replied, still slightly overwhelmed. She gulped and jammed the strange ball in her pocket as two others came running up, dressed in similar white uniforms to what the stranger had worn, except they had a big blue G emblazoned on the chest. They also had the stupidest bowl haircuts Zenelle had ever seen. Despite this, they both gave her a look that suggested they thought themselves superior to her.

"Oi, you!" One yelled. "Did you see a young man run past here?"

"Yeah, he scared off my Bidoof," Zenelle replied, uncertainly. Those outfits practically screamed that these guys were up to no good. Flare hid behind her leg.

"Did he say anything?" The other demanded, glaring down at her Chimchar.

"Um... Sorry? That's about it. He just ran past," Zenelle assured. Were they after this Pokémon? That had to be it. Bad guys always wanted Pokémon. Is that why he had given her this? Had he just made her a walking target!? That stupid jerk! The two guys exchanged glances, one making a slashing movement across his throat, but the other shook his head.

"She doesn't know anything," he whispered. "Let's get PT2 and go."

"Fine," the first agreed, running off. The other followed instantly. Zenelle watched them go before pulling out the Pokéball again.

"PT? Is that you? What does PT stand for? A new Pokémon? Porygon? Pikachu? Pelipper? Poochyena? Oooh let it be a Poochyena! I so wanted one! ...Pachirisu? Where does the T come in? What do you think, Flare?"

"Chimchar!"

"No, there's no P in that... or T," Zenelle replied with a sigh. "...You know; the jerk is probably in trouble. Do you think we should help him?"

"Chaaar..." Flare replied, hesitantly before smiling. "Chimchar!"

"Okay, let's go!" Zenelle agreed with a laugh, waiting for Flare to jump up on to her shoulder before she ran to help the strange jerk.

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A/N _So why are the Bowl Cut Brothers chasing this stranger? Just what Pokemon is PT2? Will Zenelle ever get the elusive Bidoof!? Find out next week on Unable to Battle :D (please note a week may not be a week) Direct any complaints, notes, or general criticisms onto the review button. Thanks very much :)_


	2. Bidoofless

_A/N And here I am introducing some more main characters. I'm trying to keep my ocs balanced and non-mary-suish but criticism is appreciated. World is still my own mix of video games, anime and manga.  
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**_Disclaimer: Still not owning Pokemon itself, despite having a large amount of video games based on it. Would love to own Pokemon. Wish I could own Pokemon :( Any OCs that appear in this still belong to me, there's little point stealing them ^^  
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Zenelle was ashamed to admit how out of breath she was when they caught up to the strange men. They had cornered the jerk outside of the town, against the large natural wall that surrounded the place.

"Come with us now, PT2. It would be such a shame if we had to hurt you," the one that had wanted to kill her spoke up, already pulling a Pokéball out. The jerk shook his head, using the opportunity to look for escape routes. He froze as he spotted Zenelle, who was peeking around the rocky wall.

"A-Actually, I have changed my mind. I will come with you. Right now," he decided, holding up his hands, using the opportunity to try and give Zenelle shooing motions. She waved instead, feeling an odd satisfaction in not letting him get what he wanted. One of the bowl haircuts moved forwards, a pair of handcuffs out. The other kept the Pokéball ready. PT2 hesitantly turned around, hands already behind his back, presumably to allow them to put the handcuffs on without the need for violence. Zenelle winced as he was roughly cuffed round the head before the handcuffs were haphazardly thrown on. He winced as Bowl Cut 2 pressed them too tight before a cloth was quickly stuffed in his mouth and a gag tied round.

"Target acquired. Let's get back before we're seen," Bowl Cut 1 decided. PT2's green eyes glared at Zenelle, hoping she'd get the message. She sidled out into view.

"Halt!" She cried, holding her hand out like a policeman. The two turned round hurriedly, before smiling as they saw her. "I've called the police. They're on their way. You'll be sorry," she warned. They simply laughed.

"Don't try to play with us, little girl. You don't know who you're messing with," Bowl Cut 1 warned, clicking the release button on his Pokéball.

"Little girl!? Your eyes mustn't be working. I'm nearly eighteen," Zenelle retorted, wincing as a large, strong, fat looking cat emerged. She pulled out her Pokédex.

"Purugly the Tiger Cat Pokémon. Purugly binds its body with its tails to make itself look bigger. It is a brazen brute that barges its way into another Pokémon's nest and claims it as its own. If it locks eyes it will glare ceaselessly," the Pokédex reported in a mechanical voice. Zenelle gulped. She had lied about the police and there was no way Flare could take down that evil Pokémon!

"Flare, Ember!" She called anyway, trying not to sound desperate. Flare simply stood there and looked confused, like she had for most of Roark's battle. PT2 winced.

"MM MM MM MOOH HMM HO HU EMMUH!!!" He cried, receiving another hefty blow to the side of the head. With no way to support himself, he collapsed to the ground. Bowl Cut 2 started to root through his pockets.

"Say another word and your little pet gets it," he threatened, although his hands came up empty.

"Hey, what are you doing to him?" Zenelle protested, trying to figure out what he had been trying to say? Just do not moo humming to you, Emma? Did that even make sense?

"Fatty, use Fury Swipes!" Bowl Cut 1 ordered. The Purugly instantly lashed out at Flare, who tried to dodge but still got scored along the leg.

"Where's the Pokéball!? What have you done!?" Bowl Cut 2 demanded, shaking PT2. Zenelle gasped, remembering the jerk's Pokémon.

"Star, come on out! Flare, quickly get back here!" She yelled, getting far too excited as she waited to see which Pokémon would come out.

"Fatty, Pursuit!" Bowl Cut 1 shouted, instantly.

"Hmmuh," PT2 muttered.

"Flare!" Zenelle screamed, running out to protect the now unconscious Chimchar from further attack as she returned her to her Pokéball. "That was a mean trick!" She protested, before being forced to duck as a yellow and silver blur shot past and tore a ribbon from around the Purugly's neck.

"She's got the Jirachi!" Bowl Cut 2 cried. "Get it!"

Zenelle stared after the blur before fumbling for her Pokédex once more, astounded.

"Jirachi the Wish Pokémon. Jirachi will awaken from its sleep of a thousand years if you sing to it in a voice of purity. While it sleeps, a tough crystalline shell envelopes its body to protect it from enemies. If Jirachi senses danger, it will fight without awakening. It is said to be able to grant any wish for just one week every millennium," the Pokédex reported. Zenelle gasped. She knew about this Pokémon! It was a legendary! What in Sinnoh was PT2 doing with a legendary and what were the Bowl Cut Brothers going to do to it if they caught it!? How was she meant to fight using it? She'd only used Flare before!

"Um... Um... What... Body Slam?" She tried, weakly, unsure what type it was. She just wished she had learnt how to use her Pokédex better. She should have stuck around and ignored Senni's head start!

"Jiiii," the legendary trilled, slamming itself into Purugly. Its little body seemed far harder than the soft fluffiness of Fatty, and it sent the larger Pokémon sprawling head over tails.

"Normal moves, check. Steel? It looks steel and... electric! Yes! Thunderbolt!" Zenelle guessed, praying she was right. She'd heard of the legendary but had no idea what type a Jirachi was.

"Jiiii," Star called out again. Purugly roared out in pain as electricity coursed through its body. Zenelle punched the air.

"Meteor Mash!" She added. PT2 whacked his head against the ground. Why didn't she just use Drain Punch or Draco Meteor? That Purugly would be dead! Up in the air, Star looked confused.

"Water Pulse!" Bowl Cut 1 cried. The Purugly obeyed but Star effortlessly dodged.

"Iron... Iron Head?" Zenelle tried. She had been going to say Iron Tail but the tails looked far too flimsy. Was there even a move called 'Iron Head'?

"Chiiii," Star sang, slamming into the Purugly.

"Fatty, quick, counter with Swagger!" Bowl Cut 1 counteracted. Purugly cringed down instead, flinching from the blow.

"Quick, finish that thing off with Thunderbolt!" Zenelle yelled in triumph, knowing she was being loud but not caring. She was going to win this!

"Raaaaa," Star replied, flipping herself around in midair and sending another bolt of electricity towards the Purugly.

"Fatty, no! Get up," Bowl Cut 1 demanded, but it was no use. Purugly was flat out.

"Star, we need to help Jerk Boy. Come on," Zenelle encouraged. PT2 let out a muffled yelp as he floated into the air, surrounded by a yellow glow. "I swear, come after us and Star will explode you both... From the inside out," Zenelle added, turning and fleeing, forgetting how bad it was going to look when she had a fainted Chimchar in her pocket and was being followed by a legendary Jirachi, complete with cuffed and gagged man floating along. This day was the most exciting she had ever had!

Surprisingly, despite the town being as crowded as ever, with workers on their way home from the mine, no one seemed to spot either Star or PT2. Zenelle only remembered as she moved to go into the Pokécenter. PT2 simply shook his head as she looked back up at him, before jerking it towards Star as if to tell her something. As she had never been good at charades, Zenelle simply decided to leave him to it and get Flare some help. She could figure out the rest of this later...

Finally, having left Flare safely with Nurse Joy, who really didn't look surprised, she arrived back at the room a kind couple was letting out for free to her. Star waited at the window and Zenelle let them in, looking slightly confused. PT2 was set down in the corner where he instantly started to struggle, trying to get loose.

"Hml mm mmn!" He protested. Zenelle blinked, not understanding a word.

"We should really get this off," she decided, kneeling down beside him and studying the gag knot. It wasn't very well done so she quickly had it loose, before she helped him remove the cloth from his mouth. Instantly he started to cough before breathing deeply.

"Finally!" He gasped. Zenelle scowled.

"It would've been longer if I did what you said," she pointed out. He smiled slightly.

"I agree. Thank you for your help. I am surprised you knew half the moves for Star that you did. Although... Most people would have simply used Psychic."

"Psychic? It knows that?"

"She is a psychic and steel type."

"Oh? I thought she was like Magnemite," Zenelle admitted, scratching her head. PT2 simply raised an eyebrow.

"Could you not tell from your Pokédex? I noticed you have one."

"It only said Wish Pokémon. It didn't say anything else," Zenelle replied, fishing her precious Pokédex out of her pocket to show him.

"It can tell you far more than that... Ah... I see now. The reason you do not even know the moves of your own Pokémon. You do not know how to access it," PT2 murmured. Zenelle nodded, sheepishly.

"I left before Professor Rowan could show it to me. I have a friend, you see, and we have a bet on. The first to go out with Volkner wins."

"Volkner? He was the gym leader that repeatedly used a city's worth of electricity, causing blackouts and mass panic a year ago. Are you speaking of that Volkner?"

"Yup. He's officially the hottest guy in all of Sinnoh. Pokémon Now proved so. I would've kept the poster but I lost it in my first Pokémon match... Stupid Senny."

"I see. And all that is worth not being able to handle your Pokémon properly?" PT2 asked. He didn't sound impressed. Zenelle scowled at him again.

"You better be careful what you say to me. I'm not the one currently handcuffed, and I now have a Jirachi," she pointed out. PT2 laughed.

"I do believe you have me there. But you really have to be more focused on your Pokémon if you want to be a proper trainer."

"Yeah I know. Star, return," Zenelle ordered. Jirachi obediently let the red light envelope her as she disappeared back into the capsule. PT2 found himself feeling slightly more nervous, and he started trying to slip out of the handcuffs again. "Now, you are going to tell me what the hell is going on and why you have made me a walking target, and also why you, yourself, are a walking target. Tell the truth or I get angry... And you won't like me angry."

"That was an emergency. I could not fight those men myself and I wanted Star to be safe. I cannot really tell you anything more, so please do not ask it of me... But do not fear; Star wasn't the main target. There are many reasons but I cannot really talk about them. All I ask is that you are a good trainer to Star. I will go. Do not worry about me."

"Hang on," Zenelle cut in, looking surprised. "You're saying that you couldn't handle the Bowl Cut Brothers with Jirachi? Didn't you see what I did there? I smashed them into the ground!"

"...I am unable to fight with Pokémon. It would be hard for you to understand. Just take good care of her and please become a better trainer."

"No way!" Zenelle snapped, looking slightly angry. PT2 glanced up at her in alarm.

"Have I offended you? My apologies," he started.

"It isn't that. First of all, you can't go around giving people legendaries! Not only would using them be cheating, but it would put me and Flare in danger and also leave you defenceless."

"You claimed I owed you a Pokémon. Is Star not good enough for you?" PT2 demanded.

"No, I said you owed me a Bidoof! Jirachi is not Bidoof! Jirachi has never been Bidoof! There's a million people who would trade but I refuse to take a Jirachi for a Bidoof!"

"I... I am unable to understand," PT2 started, uncertain once more, but Zenelle waved her hand.

"You know, I will forgive you for the Bidoof for now, but I do have conditions. First of all, you will show me how to work my Pokédex, if you know so much. Second of all... You have to travel with me."

"P-Pardon!?"

"No offence, but you clearly can't take care of yourself, especially if you refuse to use your own legendary Pokémon to protect yourself. How do you expect me to go on my journey when I know I left some poor person behind to get beaten up by strange men with weird haircuts, huh? Stupid jerk, bet you never even thought of that!"

"I... No... I... My apologies?" PT2 replied, uncertainly, completely stumped. Zenelle smiled.

"Well then that's settled."

"Oh... It is?" PT2 asked, flinching back as she clenched her fist.

"Yes. Now then, I need your name. Surely it isn't really 'PT2'."

"That is the name I was given."

"PT2? I'm so not calling you that. Pete?"

"Pete? That is a type of soil..."

"No, that's peat."

"...Either way, it's a horrible name."

"Hey, I like it!"

"...That does not change my opinion," PT2 retorted, leaning back against the wall and rattling the chain in the hopes that the noise would remind her to take them off finally.

"Shut it you, or you're going to be called 'Stupid Jerk'," Zenelle warned, too focused on the name to notice. "Donny? Pelleas? Paul? Tristan? Yemen? Noel?"

"...I think I would rather be named Stupid Jerk," PT2 muttered.

"Volkner's a nice name."

"NO!"

"Just saying..."

"I would rather you did not 'just say'. May I be set free now, please?"

"Oh, yeah, right. How do I go about doing that? I don't have a key."

"You do happen to have a rather handy Jirachi," PT2 reminded her, in a slow and patronising tone.

"Oh yeah!" Zenelle responded cheerfully, taking out the Pokéball. PT2 sighed. This was going to be a long and very frustrating journey. Where were Team Galactic when you needed them?

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A/N _So Zenelle now has a PT2 and a Jirachi. Will this make her journey any easier or will the two get her into more trouble? Find out next... *Insert random date* in Unable to Battle. Hope you had fun reading, folks :)  
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	3. Macho the Machop

_A/N Well PT2 gets fully introduced here. I know I know, he is a bit Gary Stuish but oh well. I'll try to keep it toned but his GS nature is rather important. Hope you enjoy ^^_

_**Disclaimer: Owning a copy of the newly released HG/SS does not mean I own the whole of the Pokemon franchise. I sure wish it did :( Only things I own here are, as ever, the ocs. Anything else is copyrighted to some very rich people with very high paid lawyers.**  
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"Don't worry, Zenelle. Flare is fully rested and eager to see you," Nurse Joy assured her the next morning as she handed over a Pokéball.

"Thank you very much," Zenelle replied, happily, instantly releasing Flare, who gibbered happily.

"Who is the young man with you?" Nurse Joy inquired, glancing at PT2, who stood silently, Jirachi once again in a Pokéball in his pocket.

"Uh... I just call him 'Oi You' at the moment. He comes from a strange place where you're not meant to give names out until you really trust the person," Zenelle lied quickly.

"It is very nice to meet you," PT2 added, inclining his head slightly. Nurse Joy smiled and repeated the action. Zenelle rolled her eyes. Handsome, complete with good manners. The mothers of the world would all go crazy. He didn't fit well with her. She had okay manners, but she was clearly incompetent with Pokémon and was pretty at best. Not ugly, but not enough to go with someone so handsome. PT2 deserved to go with Cynthia! ...Which was a point. How could she really hope to protect him when she couldn't even catch a Bidoof? Was she making the right decision with this? Perhaps she should turn him over to Roark's care. A Gym Leader could keep him safe and Roark was one of the nicest, not that the rest were particularly mean.

"No! I'm going to do this by myself," she muttered, determinedly, attracting strange looks from PT2 and Nurse Joy. "Come on then, Oiyou. We've got some training to do. He's going to show me how to utilise my Pokédex so I can beat Roark."

"Good luck," Nurse Joy called after them.

"Thank you," Zenelle responded, grabbing PT2's arm and marching him out of there.

"For many years I have longed to set eyes upon a nurse from the Joy family. She was beautiful," he commented.

"Her hair hurts my eyes," Zenelle replied, sounding slightly sulky. Every guy got a crush on Nurse Joy, and it seemed well mannered PT2 wasn't an exception. "Come on, you owe me one Pokédex lesson."

The Pokédex was rather simple to use, once she got the hang of it. It showed her Pokémon types, attacks, average height and weight, the height and weight of her own, whether she owned them or not, the general area they liked to live in, areas of the world they could be found... It was one of the most useful things she had ever seen. The only thing that disappointed her was that the only attacks Flare knew were Scratch and Leer.

"That isn't fair! Senny's stupid Piplup knew Bubble from the moment she got it! Flare fainted almost instantly and I lost my precious!"

"Some Pokémon learn quicker than others. Flare seems to be a slow grower, but I find they usually have the most potential."

"Star's list takes up far too many pages on my Pokédex! She knows millions of moves. I could've said anything!"

"That is a plain exaggeration. She simply knows every single move it is possible for a Jirachi to learn. She has been awake for far too long. Jirachi are only meant to wake for a week every thousand years. She has been awake for at least fifty years," PT2 explained.

"Why's she been awake for so long?" Zenelle inquired, intrigued, staring at the lump in PT2's pocket.

"My father encountered her when he was a little boy. He found her sleeping and he decided to sing to her. Back then, he had a beautiful voice and Jirachi woke up. She had been asleep for a very long time. Now my father had been lonely. He was a bit of an outcast amongst the other kids and he was too young for a Pokémon of his own. One of the things he wished for is that she never had to go back sleep and leave him..."

"But she's with you now, so she's left him."

"Yes. My belief is it has something to do with my blood. I am his son, after all. I believe the wish continued through the bloodline," PT2 replied. Zenelle frowned, starting to add things up.

"Your father... Is he-" She started.

"He is," PT2 cut her off, his voice deliberately neutral. Zenelle looked down at the ground.

"I'm sorry."

"You did nothing."

"And your mother?"

"I don't have a mother. The only one I have left is Star," PT2 responded, patting his pocket and trying not to betray anything in his voice. Zenelle glanced over at him.

"Corny as it sounds, you're my partner now, okay? So you and me, we can be together until we beat the bad guys and I become champion of all, married to Volkner and laughing at Senny. You can have Cynthia. We'll be the best team ever!" she enthused. PT2 blinked at her.

"...If you insist," he replied, eventually. This journey might not be so bad after all...

-

They spent the rest of the afternoon training up Flare, in the hopes of helping her learn a fire move. However, before they managed, Zenelle happened to catch a glance at her watch.

"Oh no! We might miss it! Run!" she cried, instantly getting up and rushing off, leaving PT2 and Flare behind in the dust.

"What's wrong with her?" PT2 asked.

"Chimchar char chim," Flare explained.

"Huh? She's stopping your training to watch some men parading themselves on television!?" PT2 inquired, incredulous.

"...Char chimchar char char!" Flare exclaimed. PT2 sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I guess my secret's out, huh? Well don't tell her, do you understand?"

"Chaaaar..."

"She doesn't understand you yet? Honestly? That doesn't make sense! As far as I can tell, most trainers can understand at least the gist of their Pokémon's speech from the very start."

"Chimchar!" Flare snapped. PT2 held up his hands.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to insult her. It's surprising how close you have grown to her, despite all the losses."

"Chaaar," Flare replied, starting to walk off. PT2 shrugged before getting up to follow her.

Zenelle barely even glanced up as they came in. She was riveted to the television, watching with her eyes wide.

"I have heard if you sit that close, you run the risk of eye cancer," PT2 warned. She waved a hand at him to try and shut him up.

"It's Nando against Wallace, the contest of the millennium! Everyone's been waiting for this! Who's sexier, can we tell? No we can't! Now all we need is a naked Volkner and this thing is set!" she enthused. PT2 exchanged a glance with Flare before he smiled and put a finger to his lips. Flare rolled her eyes and mirrored the action. Zenelle didn't even notice them. No strange wanted men were going to take her mind off her own personal wanted men! Well, not her own personal... They had a lot of fangirls.

PT2 sat down behind her on a proper chair and watched the TV himself, ever mindful of eye cancer. Flare joined him, watching along with them. He found Zenelle's obsession strange at first but soon found himself being drawn in to the world of Pokémon Contests. The way the trainers and their Pokémon interacted, the way they moved their bodies, using attacks to heighten the visual effect, the way they seemed to all move to a rhythm of their own, one that only they could hear, just them and their Pokémon. He longed for an opportunity to work with Pokémon like that. He didn't like Pokémon battles even at the best of times but this... this was something new. He felt a rush of intense jealousy to those on the stage.

Zenelle sighed as the contest ended. She had been so close to missing it this time and she never missed contests when Wallace was on. She stood up and switched the TV off.

"But... But the-" PT2 started, wanting to watch more. Zenelle grabbed his hand and pulled him up.

"I want to teach Flare Ember. Come on," she decided.

"But the contest is still going..." PT2 protested weakly as she dragged him out.

"Chimchar," Flare sympathised.

For the rest of the day, until it got too late, PT2 was only half concentrating on Flare's training. He barely even remembered to crack a smile when Flare managed the tiniest of flames. His mind was fully on the beauty and skill of the contests, unable to get them off his mind. He longed to be like Wallace. Champion, Gym Leader and Contest Master. That guy had been able to do it all... Plus he clearly got all the fangirls. That was completely unfair. At the very least he could have been ugly. That would have made PT2 feel the slightest bit better... Stupid Wallace.

-

For a week, they trained hard, with PT2 becoming more relaxed and comfortable around Zenelle. However, he was starting to get increasingly jittery. Flare's Ember was a lot stronger, but they knew it wouldn't work against the rock types and he was certain their peaceful time was running out. Galactic would come back eventually, and he wanted them to be gone before that happened. They would find a way around Star and they would capture them... and probably kill Zenelle.

"Right, today I'm going to show you how to capture a Pokémon. The Pokémon we're searching for is Machop, a fighting type that lives in this area and is strong against the rock types that Roark uses."

"...You know, for someone who doesn't train Pokémon, you know a lot," Zenelle murmured. He smiled, almost dazzling her. She half wondered how he kept his teeth so white. He drank as much tea as her, dammit!

"Yes. It was another of the wishes Jirachi granted my father."

"Is that the reason the Bowl Cut Brothers were after you?" she inquired. PT2 inclined his head, once.

"One of them. There are many reasons, but I would prefer not to go into it."

"You know, you go all formal when you're trying not to explain stuff to me."

"I do?"

"Yeah, haven't you noticed?" Zenelle asked. He shook his head.

"My apologies."

"Whatever. Let's get catching me a Machop! I know, I'll call him Macho!"

"You aren't very skilled at naming things, are you?" PT2 murmured. Zenelle scowled and punched his arm, hard.

"That's it, I'm calling you Buttface," she hissed, stalking off. Flare watched her leave before repeating her action.

"Char chimchar chimchar chaaar," she scolded before flouncing after her trainer. PT2 rubbed his arm, ruefully.

"Buttface? I don't think I like that name," he whispered to himself, running after her to try and make it up to her.

It didn't take very much to convince Zenelle to forgive him. After all, she still needed him to help her capture the much needed Machop, and she had promised to help him. She refused to drop the 'Buttface', however.

"I heard there's a nest of Machop around here," he whispered to her.

"Right then, Buttface. How do we get them, Buttface? Please do show me, Buttface," she replied. He sighed. Okay, so maybe she hadn't quite forgiven him...

"Stay very quiet and they should appear. Then you challenge one. They get very competitive," he responded.

"Thank you, Buttface. I couldn't do this without you, Buttface. Am I annoying you, Buttface?"

"...They won't come out if you're not quiet," PT2 reminded her, barely managing to keep his voice neutral. It would only make her worse if she knew how much she was irritating him.

"Machooop," something said, dangerously, from behind them. PT2 paled.

"Ah ha! I'm going to capture you!" Zenelle cried, instantly whipping round.

"Zenelle, don't. We have to get out of here. Now," he whispered urgently.

"Shush, Buttface. I want this Machop!" she shot back. "Flare, Ember!"

"NO! You don't understand. That Machop has children and she thinks we're trying to attack them."

"Huh, how would you know that, Buttface?" Zenelle asked, sounding uncertain.

"I'll explain it later. Look, even Flare knows! We have to go!" he whispered. Zenelle gulped, before suddenly falling to her knees in front of the angry mother.

"Oh, my, I'm so sorry, Mrs Machop. We won't hurt your children, I swear. I'm sorry if I offended you," she apologised, surprising PT2. He didn't know she had it in her.

"Machooooo," the Machop responded, still glaring at them.

"She's giving us five minutes to get away from here. I suggest we run fast," he translated. Zenelle nodded and allowed him to take her hand before they ran off together, Flare once more on her shoulders.

When they were safely away, Zenelle turned on PT2.

"Okay, Buttface, you better spill everything, right now, else Flare is going to make you toasty!" she demanded.

"Char chimchar chaaar," Flare added. PT2 glanced around, not liking the number of people around.

"Let's go back to your room and then I'll tell you everything," he decided, reluctantly. Zenelle nodded, arms folded sternly as she led the way back.

She sat down on the bed and watched him closely as he paced back and forth, trying to work up the courage.

"I can understand Pokémon," he blurted out, finally. "It was another of the wishes father asked for."

"Is that it? Your big secret?" Zenelle asked, smiling. "What a big deal."

"You don't understand. There's a reason Galactic want me, and there's a reason I don't train Pokémon," PT2 continued, sitting down on the bed next to her. "If I spent too much time with Pokémon, I would gain the ability to control them. They would be mindless at the sound of my voice. It was another of my father's wishes, bearing in mind he was but a child. It was what killed him in the end. The strain it placed on his body... on his mind... In the end he couldn't cope... But they made sure he had a successor before he died. Everything he wished passed on to me."

"So your mother..."

"She was a member of Galactic. I hate her," PT2 replied, his voice full of loathing. "She did not care for me or my father. She didn't even give me a proper name."

"...How did you escape?"

"Pure luck. Star was allowed out the Pokéball and they had a blackout. Her full power was unleashed and she helped me out. After that, I had no choice but to run. They are going to make me control Pokémon, and they will make sure I have a successor. Poor Star will never be allowed to sleep."

"What happens if Jirachi isn't allowed to sleep?"

"I can only go by what Star told me, but if she does not get to sleep soon, she will most likely turn into a supernova."

"Isn't that an exploded star that turns into a black hole?"

"That is what I was told by Star."

"And wouldn't that engulf the entire planet?"

"That would be a yes."

Zenelle sat back, staring at PT2, eyes wide and mouth gaping. She glanced down hurriedly, as if expecting a black hole to already be forming in her partner's pocket. PT2 shuffled nervously.

"I would prefer it if you stopped looking there," he spoke up. Zenelle frowned, slightly confused, before it dawned and she found herself turning red.

"I was looking at your ball!" she protested. The sentence hung in the air, uncomfortably. She turned an even darker red and had to turn away. "Pokéball! Jirachi's Pokéball!"

"Yes, I understand," PT2 replied, his voice faltering slightly, his own cheeks pink. Zenelle got up and crossed the room, so she could sit on the windowsill and not be next to him.

"S-So how long have we got before the big BH?" she asked, voice cracking. She stared out of the window to avoid his gaze. She didn't see his uncertain look as he tried to decide between truth or lie.

"It could be anything up to a century," he replied, making his decision.

"Well that's fine then. All we have to do is make sure they don't make you have a kiddiewinkle."

"...Pardon?"

"Oh, sorry. Mum always said that. But I swear, Pete, I'm not going to let you get caught again. I'll protect you, I mean it."

"My name is not Pete!" PT2 protested. Zenelle nodded, distractedly, trying to change the topic.

"So, when can we go catch a Machop?"

"It isn't Pete!" PT2 repeated, ignoring her question. Why her? Honestly, why her? Out of all the annoying little trainers he could have handed Jirachi to, he had to pick one that delighted in calling him 'Jerk', 'Butthead' and, worst of all, 'Pete'. Was life still worth living? Was it ever!?

-

"Machoooo," Machop challenged.

"Char chimchar chim," Flare retorted.

"What are they saying?" Zenelle asked, eagerly.

"Machop told Flare to... 'Bite me', whatever that means, and Flare replied 'I'll kick your ass'," PT2 replied in a bored tone. She had been making him translate every little Pokémon noise the whole day as she fought various Machop, trying to find one she had a chance of catching. This one seemed to be the best. It was the least threatening and it had cowered slightly at Flare's challenge. However, Zenelle could do with some already strong Pokémon. She was too ditzy to really train Pokémon well. Her dreams of being a champion were to be crushed early on, he bet. He could help her beat Roark but, if she continued refusing to use Star, she probably would not make it past Maylene. "Can you capture him now, please?"

"Fine, fine," Zenelle agreed, finally, unaware of the reason for his skittishness. Team Galactic could be on their way at any moment! Did she not realise? Did she live in a dream world? "Flare, use Ember!"

"Chim!" Flare replied, instantly breathing out a number of small, deadly fireballs. Machop leapt up into the air, dodging them, but Chimchar followed its path, catching it directly on its belly.

"Machooo!" Machop protested, sounding angrier now. It landed and tensed its whole body before rushing at Flare, kicking her legs hard. Flare retaliated instantly, burning its chin. Machop staggered back, looking much worse for wear already. PT2 winced, seeing just how weak it was.

"Pokéball, go!" Zenelle cried, throwing an ordinary Pokéball at it. It disappeared into it in a red flash and Zenelle clenched her fists as the ball swayed. PT2 looked away, not wanting to will the Pokémon to stay in. He didn't know what it took to gain the ability but he refused. He would not deprive Pokémon of their right to choose. Pokémon didn't have to obey their trainers. That made it a good balance. If their trainer wasn't very good, the Pokémon showed it, so to be able to control them took all that away. It wasn't right.

"YES! I CAUGHT A MACHOKE!"

"You are getting slightly ahead of yourself there," PT2 pointed out. "You might hurt... Macho's feelings."

"Actually, I'm calling him Tyson, so shut it, Butthead."

"Tyson?"

"After a wrestler. Got a problem with that?" Zenelle demanded, ready to have another argument.

"No, I actually like it," PT2 admitted in amazement as Flare brought the Pokéball to her. Zenelle smiled at her and picked it up.

"How long will it take to train Tyson up well enough, do you think?" she asked PT2.

"Not long, if you use Flare to help. Maybe we can use Star as well if we train somewhere private."

"Good. I don't know if you've realised and I didn't want to scare you, but Galactic will come back eventually, when they finally realise that we were in fact stupid enough to stay here," she responded. He gaped at her, having not expected her to actually grasp that concept. He still had a hard time believing she was eighteen.

"You are right. I did not realise," he responded with the slightest of smiles.

"Liar. I told you, you always go formal when you're trying to hide things from me. You realised too, but you haven't tried to hurry me along. Maybe you're not such a butthead after all, Pete."

"Tha- - - Do not call me Pete!"

-

It was very hard work training up Tyson for the first while, as Zenelle had to get used to the different Pokémon, his nature and also get over the fact that he was rather weak. If it hadn't been for PT2's constant support, she would have given up and gone to challenge Roark long before time. Tyson was her surprise Pokémon. If this failed, she was going to have to get out of there no matter what. PT2 had to be got away from here, badge or no badge. She really wanted that badge though. She wanted to continue her own dream. Perhaps she could come back here later... If she lost... Which she wasn't going to.

"Right then, do you think we're truly ready for this?" she asked PT2 for the fifth time that morning.

"Well he has learnt Revenge and he's very eager. It is my hope Roark will be unprepared for a sudden challenge from one such as yourself," he replied with a shrug. "We may have to go dig our young opponent out, though. He does rather like stones."

"Sure thing. I'll keep Tyson hidden. Come on, Flare. We've got a Gym Leader to beat."

"You will have to make it a three on three, though. I told you not to capture that Bidoof," PT2 added. Zenelle smiled, holding up a Pokéball containing her newest addition, Ralten. PT2 had lived up to the oldest promise and helped her catch one after she insisted. Unfortunately, that had only been recently and they didn't have time to train him to use Water Gun. They had to move on. She also refused to tell him just why she had called him 'Ralten'. What sort of name was that? He was only glad he wasn't named by her. Why her Pokémon accepted nicknames, he would never know.

"Ralten won't be a bother. Tyson can take down any comers, can't you, Tyson?" she asked another Pokéball. It didn't answer. "What do you think, Flare?"

"Chimchar!" Flare replied, happily. "Char char chimchar."

"She says you can do anything. You'll beat him for sure," PT2 added.

"They take fewer words than us, huh?"

"It's a lot about body language too. It's hard to explain, so please trust me. The translations aren't completely accurate; they're more like a general gist, as accurate as I can make," he explained with a shrug. Zenelle smiled at him before grabbing his arm.

"Come on then. Let's go fishing for a Gym Leader. I heard they're rare around these parts," she enthused, pulling him up and away before he got a chance to answer.

He hesitated outside the mines as Zenelle moved to go in, Flare by her side and two full Pokéballs clinking in her pockets. She tried to continue walking but her grip on his arm caused her to almost fall at the unexpected stop.

"Wah! What's wrong? Is it Galactic? Are they back?" she asked, alarmed.

"N-No... It's not that," he responded, sounding reluctant. "I just never realised how dark and... Closed in mines are..."

"...Eh?" Zenelle asked, stumped.

"I thought they'd all be open and people happily digging away, like this bit. I didn't think it would be... Cave like."

"I thought you had all knowledge on stuff," Zenelle pointed out.

"No. All knowledge on Pokémon. Ask me anything about Pokémon and I will be able to tell you. Caves, they're a no go. Pokémon trainers and related items, they're a go go. Do you understand?" PT2 replied. Zenelle pursed her lips, thoughtfully regarding him.

"So what's wrong with mines not being all open?"

"They're... Well... I'm slightly... Claustrophobic," he admitted, rubbing his eyes to avoid looking at her. Here he was, a full grown... Well, still growing a bit but nearly a full grown man and he was scared of such stupid things.

"So you're scared of small places?" Zenelle inquired.

"I am scared of places without windows that are dark and scary whether they are underground or not. Being underground definitely does not help."

"Oh come on. How can that hurt you?" she scoffed, trying to pull him in. He resisted, clinging to a nearby pole.

"Do not pressure me. You have no idea about this. Phobias are not reasonable. I did not wish to have this and I will not allow you to take me under there," he hissed. Zenelle frowned.

"Wait, you had to go through the tunnels to get here," she pointed out. "How's that different?"

PT2 relaxed as she stopped tugging him to let him answer.

"I was being pursued, the tunnels were short and I was running very fast. I was out before I knew it. I could see light the entire way. It's slightly different. You find Roark. I'll stay here. Remain on guard."

"I still don't see what's wrong with being underground..." Zenelle murmured, doubtfully, before she shrugged and sighed. "Flare, keep Pete safe. I'll drag Roark out and be on my way."

"Don't call me Pete!" PT2 cried, even as she disappeared into the mine. He sighed. "Oh well. At least she's got Tyson with her. The Geodude down there won't bother her and Onix are rare."

"Chimchaaaar?" Flare inquired.

"You should have more faith in your dear trainer," PT2 replied. "...Although she does have the worst of luck. Maybe I should have given her Star... Yes. Flare, I want you to take this to her, do you understand?"

"Char? Chimchar char!"

"I know. You'll only be gone a few seconds. What could happen in that time, hey?" he responded. Flare scratched her head, trying to weigh up the pros and cons.

"Char," she agreed, reluctantly, taking the Pokéball and disappearing into the mines. PT2 leant against the tower and bit at his thumb.

"I believe you wish for me to follow you now," he murmured, glancing across to where a shadowy figure appeared. "It will be impossible for you to reach her now. A Gym Leader is down there and you do not wish for news of you to be spread, do you?"

The shadow didn't respond, instead letting out a deep, dark chuckle that chilled PT2 down to the core. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

"ZENELLE! GET OUT OF THERE!" he screamed, even as the blast from the explosion knocked him off his feet. His head cracked against the pole and he lay still.

* * *

A/n _I made this chapter longer to make up for irregular publishing and stuff ^^ PT2's changing speech patterns are meant to symbolise his reservedness around strangers. If you think it didn't work, tell me ^^If you're wondering why I randomly added Nando... He's pretty ^^ I wanna see more of him :D  
_

_Who is this shadowy figure? Did Zenelle survive? Will PT2 ever choose a proper name? Find out next *mumbles incoherently* in Unable to Battle!  
_


	4. Bogeyman

_A/N Well, long time no update. Heh, I will get better one day. I came back to this story after having started playing the brilliant new Pokemon Black. N is pure awesome in my honest opinion. Also, I've realised that my characters are turning more and more into mary sues as I write, so instead I hope that both they and the story are enjoyable and fun to read no matter what ^^_

_**Disclaimer: I sadly do not own Pokemon. Several attempts to change this have, as yet, failed. Maybe one day. **  
_

* * *

"Can anyone hear me?" a voice could be dimly heard. Zenelle wished they'd stop. Her head pounded and she wanted to sleep some more, but the duvet was slightly too heavy and too dusty – refusing to be kicked off in top of all that. Part of her knew she should open her eyes, but it felt like far too much effort.

"Pete, tell 'em to shut up," she croaked, slowly becoming aware of just how thirsty she was, and a growing pain in her legs. Her eyes snapped open, before hurriedly closing again as dust stung them. The memory was flooding back. PT2 had been outside, Flare with him. Something blasted close by – rocks everywhere. People were searching? The voice!

"Help! HELP ME! I'M UNDER HERE! HEEEELP!" she screamed, ignoring her burning throat and pounding head. She was trapped under the mine, stones crushing in on her… but not too badly. That was strange. She slowly peeked her eyes open again.

"Dude dude geodude," they told her assuringly. She blinked. Rocks were speaking to her. She had to have really damaged her head. No, wait… Pokémon could be rocks. Yes, Roark had a rock. That rock had beaten Flare repeatedly. These rocks seemed nice, though.

"I can hear something," the distant voice called to others. Zenelle opened her mouth to scream again, but the dust irritated her throat. Coughing ensued.

"Geodude," the rocks spoke up in perfect chorus.

"Where… Roark…" she managed between coughing, suddenly scared. Flare and PT2 had to be safe… but what if the Gym Leader wasn't? What if the other people in the mines had been hurt… or worse?

Piercing light suddenly appeared, making her snap her eyes shut again.

"Machaaaaamp," something assured, voice soft and gentle. Solid hands scooped her up as the Geodude pushed harder to free her trapped body.

"It's a girl!" someone called. A towel was wrapped round her, and she could feel herself being laid down. Someone quickly checked her over while the Geodude hovered close by. She felt strangely detached from it all, as if nothing had happened, as if it was all a dream.

"The Geodude must have protected her. Apart from some bumps and bruises, she's unharmed," the medic reported. Zenelle found herself helped up again, and a cup was pressed into her hands. She drank gratefully as she tried to gather her thoughts.

"Is Roark okay?" she asked in a whisper, as she delved one hand into her ruined pocket. Thankfully, the Pokéballs were still there. Tyson and Ralten were safe.

"You're the only person we've found. Luckily it was a lunch break; there weren't many down there. Those Geodude probably saved your life… the others that live in there might have done the same to anyone else down there," the medic replied quietly. Zenelle nodded, wishing her heart would stop hammering against her bruised chest. Calling Tyson out seemed like the right thing to do.

"Machop! Machop Machoooop!" he fretted, confused and disorientated, but seeming healthy.

"Tyson, help them search for others, please," she murmured. Tyson nodded once and left, despite the fact that the other searchers were strong looking Machoke and Machamp.

With some effort, she managed to get to her feet, and once the dizziness had cleared, she prepared to look for her friends. She was slightly hurt that they hadn't even stopped to see if she was okay, but she guess they were helping out. PT2's skills would be useful about now.

"Oh, miss, you must let yourself recover," the medic told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No, my friends… Um, there's a boy about my age, black hair, nice, green eyes. He should have a Chimchar with him. Have you seen him?" she asked. A thought had occurred to her. The two would only have been standing in the entrance – what if the blast had got them too?

"No, I haven't seen anyone matching that description. I'm sorry," the medic replied, shaking her head sadly. Zenelle gasped and turned back to the collapsed, ruined mine. Were they there! Could Flare and PT2 be buried under there!

She shook the medic off and stumbled back over, but a Machoke stopped her.

"Machooooke," it ordered, pushing her back away.

"Miss, please, it's unsafe. The Pokémon know what they are doing. They will find your friends," the medic cut in. Zenelle swallowed hard, a lump rising in her throat, before she retreated slightly, unable to take it.

"Pete, Flare, Star… all of you… please be okay. I'll never be mean again. I don't need to beat Roark. Just please be okay," she begged, brushing at tears. She could see the media out the corner of her eye, but so far they were being kept at bay by a yapping Poochyena owned by Officer Jenny.

"Why you crying Zenzen?" a little boy spoke up, tugging at her tattered sleeve. She looked down at him, wiping away the tears in a failed attempt to appear brave.

"No reason, little guy. You haven't seen Petey around, have you?" she asked, recognising him as one of the children that had occasionally watched and helped them train. The boy wrinkled his nose.

"A bogeyman taked him. Mum says there's not bogeymen, but I seed him."

"A bogeyman? A bogeyman took Petey?" Zenelle repeated, confused, before her heart stopped. What if they had come?

"The bogeyman had a ghost and it taked Flare and the bogeyman taked Petey," the boy continued, glancing round conspiratorially.

"What did the bogeyman look like?" Zenelle asked, bending down to his level. Had Team Galactic really done this? Had they endangered everyone in the mine just for that!

The boy simply shrugged.

"A big ghosty… a bogeyman," he repeated, as if she should know from that. She simply sighed. The person had probably been cloaked then.

"Listen to me, I don't want you to tell anyone about the bogeyman, okay? It's very important," she told him. He nodded and rubbed his nose. "I need to go now, but I need you to go back to your mum and stay away from the mind, okay?"

"Yep," the boy agreed, running off. Zenelle watched him, before she returned Tyson.

"If it's okay, I'm going to go back and lie down in my house," she told the medic, who nodded.

"Make sure not to strain yourself. We'll come let you know as soon as we find anyone," she promised. Zenelle managed the weakest of smiles before walking off. She was going to find PT2, Star and Flare. She just had to.

She ignored her fatigue and terror as she neared the cave, starting to understand what PT2 had meant by claustrophobia. One had just collapsed on her, after all, and she wasn't particularly keen on letting another one do so… but it was the only way out of town and she wasn't going to let Galactic get away.

She didn't notice the dark shape following her in the evening gloom.

* * *

_A/N: So now Zenelle and PT2 have been seperated. Will they ever find each other again? Who is this dark shape? And will I ever stop ending chapters with shadowy figures lurking nearby? Find out next... hopefully not year... in Unable to Battle!_


	5. Claustrophobia

_A/N Thanks for the reviews, and I'm glad to hear people are enjoying the story :) A new character is going to be introduced! :O I know, exciting ^^  
_

**Disclaimer: No Pokémon were harmed in the making of this fic. A CC was hurt in the attempt to gain the franchise though, and thus it still remains in the hands of Ninty and all of its original owners. Next time. Next time...**

* * *

"It's got a lot darker than before," she murmured uncertainly to herself as she reached the tunnel. It had all been different before with Flare by her side, the Chimchar's tail lighting up the area and scaring off the dark loving Pokémon inside. Before, she hadn't had a mine collapse on top of her either. The mountain looked sturdy enough, but then so had the previous tunnel until the bombs hit…

"Tyson, out you come," she decided, releasing her Machop.

"Choooop," the reassuring voice of her fighting Pokémon came, more than enough to defeat the rock Pokémon awaiting her inside the cave. It was nice to have a bit of company, too.

"Ralten, you come out too," she added, deciding she had neglected her longed for Bidoof for far too long.

"Bid bid bid," the rodent chattered, and she managed a weak smile. This was exactly what she needed, some Pokémon to cheer her up.

A soft touch on her shoulder nearly made her scream out loud, but another voice quickly cut her off.

"Jii! Jiirachi!" the little Pokémon cried. Zenelle whirled round, eyes wide.

"Star! I can't… is it… but I thought… Flare and Oiyou…" she started, unable to believe her eyes.

"Jii, jirachi ji chiiii jirachi jiiiiii raaaaaaa!" the legendary gibbered, trying to make her understand with strange mimes. Zenelle grew increasingly confused.

"Slow down. Slow. Down," she eventually cut in. "Tell me… have Flare and Oiyou really been captured?"

"Rach," Star responded with a nod of her head. Zenelle frowned, uncertain of how to feel. If they hadn't been caught, they would have been under the rubble… but then the Geodude would have been able to help them out. However, who knew what the Bowl Cut Brothers would do to Oiyou, or even why they had taken Flare?

"…Are they hurting?" she had to ask, feeling afraid. Would Star really know? She was a psychic type, according to the Pokedex, so surly she had to have a connection to Oiyou. He was technically her trainer after all.

"Rrrrrr," Star replied, miming sleep.

"So he hasn't woken yet? Oh, I hope they haven't hurt him… Can… Can you feel Flare?"

"Jiiii," Star responded, shaking her head.

"Macho," Tyson assured, flexing his muscles in a gesture that was unmistakeable.

"Yes… All three of you can help me find them. We'll do this. We don't need Oiyou to tell us what to do, do we?" Zenelle decided, sounding a lot braver than she felt. All three of them nodded cheerfully. She managed another smile. "Well then, since I don't have a Pokéball for Star, I might as well be fair to all three of you and leave you out. Ralten, if you feel tired, just tell me. You're not so used to being with a trainer, and I haven't had a chance to train you yet, so don't feel ashamed."

"Doof," Ralten agreed, puffing himself up somewhat. Zenelle bent down to pick him up, grimacing slightly at the weight. It was just her luck to get a chunky Bidoof.

"Well, if you get tired, I might be able to carry you for a bit, but you're heavy," she gasped. Ralten chattered in a way that could have been laughing, even as he was set back onto the ground. Zenelle smiled, feeling a bit better now she half knew what she was doing.

"Right guys, let's go get back our… Huh, how awkward. One's a guy, one's a girl, one's a Pokémon, one's a human… Oooh, I know! Let's go get our partners back!"

She started to head off, trying to feel more confident about the cave, when something bowled into her from behind, knocking her over. At the same time, a rush of fire passed harmlessly overhead.

Zenelle found herself roughly hauled up, catching sight of eye-painfully blue, bowl-cut hair and a white uniform. He stood with his back to her, facing another that looked identical in the near dark.

"What're you doing! The orders are to kill the girl and capture the Jirachi!" the opposing bowl cut snarled, indicating to his Houndour to try again.

"Tyson, Low - - - No, that isn't heavy enough. Karate Chop!" Zenelle ordered, deciding to ignore the helping bowl cut for now. She couldn't concentrate on the two of them right now. She had to focus on the advice PT2 had given her.

"Houndour, Flamethrower," Bowl Cut countered. Tyson dodged it without even waiting for Zenelle's order, before bringing his hand down hard on Houndour's head. She felt a weight on her shoulders as Star hid behind her head, and a brush against her leg as Ralten also hid. She gasped as the Houndour easily shook Tyson off, looking none the worse for wear. This was a strong, well trained Pokémon. She hadn't even got her first gym badge! She was doomed!

"Dragonite, Twister!" the second bowl cut shouted suddenly, startling her. Tyson ran back to her for cover as a dark shape appeared in the air, and both Houndour and its trainer were swept up.

"Gah! You jus- Glo-" the enemy bowl cut accused, his voice becoming lost as he was swirled around. Zenelle watched, eyes wide, even as she reached behind to grab Star and quickly returned her other two Pokémon. While the second bowl cut was occupied, she could run and get Star safe. She wouldn't let Oiyou down.

"No, wait! That's an ambush!" the helper bowl cut cried as she ran back into the cave, barely hearing him. She had to get Star to safety.

Dimly, she heard his footsteps echoing behind her in the empty tunnel, but she refused to slow. Just because he had turned on his teammates didn't mean he wasn't going to kill her and take Star for himself. What would happen to the captives then? No one would know where they were. No one would even know they were gone. She couldn't let that awful team keep their hands on him… on them!

"STOP!" the guy behind her repeated. "It's a trap! Stop!"

"Jii! Jirachi jiii!" Star added, wriggling out of Zenelle's arms to float towards the bowl cut. Zenelle stopped, feeling confused, only a short distance away from the tunnel's exit. Now that she was still, she could easily see the darker lines across the entrance where netting had been thrown across.

"W-What's going on? I don't understand," she whispered as the helper bowl cut took her arm and hurriedly pulled her back the way they had come.

"Let Dragonite handle them. Your Pokémon need rest," he advised, which was clearly his way of telling her they were weak. She scowled at him and wrenched her arm away.

"Yeah, like I'm going to trust a bowl cut. Why the hell are you helping me?" she demanded.

"I'm not one of Team Galactic," he whispered. Zenelle blinked in the darkness as she heard the sound of ripping fabric. Just what was he doing!

Star helpfully used Flash, blinding the both of them momentarily. Zenelle blinked hard before gaping. The bowl cut had transformed into a handsome young man with bright red and slightly flattened, but still very pointy, hair and beautiful eyes, that were slightly closer to red than they were to brown. Instead of the white Galactic outfit, he now wore a red and black skin-tight outfit, complete with a cape that simply couldn't have fit underneath the previous clothes, which lay discarded on the floor. She blinked again, deciding she had to have hit her head.

"Oh… okay then…" she finally replied, swallowing hard. She had thought spending time with PT2 would get her used to handsome men, but the other had been different somehow. "Um… question… I think… wait…"

Last time she had unexpectedly come face to face with an attractive man like this, he had thrust a legendary at her and ran away to get captured. She'd rescued him and thus broken the ice. The time before that, the attractive man had mercilessly thrashed her in a gym battle. Now she was the damsel and he was the hero. No ice breaking there…

"One question might be 'Why were you dressed like that?'. Another is 'Why did you help me?'," the handsome man, who was as far from a bowl cut as a person could get, helpfully responded. He wasn't even patronising her – at least his tone wasn't. How could he talk to her like this and not be patronising? That meant he knew his effect on her, right? Or was it the other way round? Why did her brain not work?

"Just answer them. Please," she managed weakly. The guy without a bowl cut smirked, before regally bowing.

"My name is Lance and I hail from Blackthorn City in the Johto Region. No need to fear, I am a member of the Pokémon G-Men."

"Uh… The whatty what now?" Zenelle asked, finally finding her tongue, although she remained bright red. She wanted Star to turn off the flash. It would make things a lot easier.

"Jiii," Star said, and abruptly let all the light go out. Zenelle blinked again, her eyes no longer used to the darkness at all. The handsome man – Lance – was now a wall of solid black.

"The Pokémon G-Men usually only deal with wild Pokémon and the problems some humans cause them… but I was near when the mine collapsed and decided to personally investigate this matter. Team Galactic made a mistake when they blew up that mine," Lance added. Zenelle nodded shakily, mentions of the mine bringing everything flooding back. And they were in a cave…

"Oh Arceus… oh… no…" she whimpered. "I… I have to get out of here. I need to get out of here!"

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Lance asked, alarmed, as he took her arms. There was a melodic sound from outside – Dragonite's cry. "We can leave now. Everything will be fine."

"I… Yes. S-Sorry…" Zenelle gasped as he led her out, the net having been cut away by the powerful dragon Pokémon. In the fresh air, she felt able to breathe once more. She collapsed to the ground outside, burying her fingers in the sparse grass that lined the road. "I was in the mine… when… when…"

"You were in that explosion? Team Galactic were still around when I arrived, but I came after that happened… They were under orders to make sure you - - - To make sure Jirachi was captured," Lance told her, pacing slightly. "Now, I don't understand everything that's happening so far, but I hope you will be able to fill in some of the blanks."

"I'm not explaining anything. I don't trust you," she responded finally, not looking at him. "How can I trust you? You might hurt him too – Jean-Men or not."

"I won't harm Jirachi," Lance assured, kneeling down beside her. Jirachi landed in front of them and smiled assuringly up at Zenelle. She frowned.

"You trust him?" she whispered. Star nodded eagerly, managing to make her smile. "Fine then. Shall we tell him about Oiyou?"

"About what?" Lance asked, intrigued. In the distance, sirens blared as the Officer Jenny from Jubilife came to arrest the Team Galactic members secreted unconscious around the area by Dragonite, with the Officer Jenny from Oreburgh still being too busy with the rescue attempt.

"Jiiii," Star replied, nodding again. Zenelle pursed her lips and looked up at her rescuer.

"Fine then. I will. Okay, Lance, we need to find somewhere private… a room to stay the night would be good. I should… I shouldn't rest but… if you insist, you also have to agree to help. You have to help, okay?"

She looked him straight in the eyes at that point, feeling strangely confident. The shock was either leaving her or deceiving her, she couldn't decide. She felt slightly giddy at the moment.

"We haveta go now, though. I don't… the police shouldn't see me… No, they shouldn't see her," she continued, pointing to Star.

"Rach," Star added, landing contentedly on Lance's shoulder. Zenelle glared at her.

"Oh, I see. That's the way it is," she muttered, before suddenly standing and laughing, clearly startling Lance. "Well then, Lance, do you agree? We should get going, Lance."

"I wish you weren't involved in this. Your Pokémon are far too inexperienced," Lance murmured with a sigh. He stood and followed her, ignoring the repetitions of his name.

"What do you think, Star? Should we call Oiyou 'Lance'? I like that name," she mused. Lance opened his mouth to protest, but closed it uncertainly. That was a compliment, right? Or was she planning on calling a Bidoof 'Lance'? This girl was a strange one…

Unfortunately for Lance, as soon as they got a room, Zenelle crept into a bed and fell fast asleep, telling him nothing. He made a move to wake her, before hesitating. She had been trapped under a mine after all…

"It can wait until the morning," he decided. He was intrigued to hear how an average girl came across a legendary Pokémon like Jirachi, especially in the Sinnoh region.

"Jirachi," Star agreed, patting his ear. She refused to leave his shoulder the entire time, and even curled up on his pillow when he slipped into the room's second bed, only removing his boots and cape.

He was awake long before Zenelle the next morning, and reluctantly went to get breakfast for them both, with some nudges from the legendary Pokémon. For something that was only rumoured to exist, it sure was bossy. He was rich enough, though, and the girl didn't look particularly well off. Besides, it might make her more inclined to talk. He couldn't stop her being involved, especially given her connection to the legendary, but he could try and make it all easier for her.

"Oh Oiyou, what smells so good?" Zenelle asked the instant he entered the room again. She shot up in bed, eyes fixed on the tray. "Ha, you should- - - Wait, you're not… Oh, yeah. Lance." She sounded far too disappointed. Lance resisted the urge to glare. "More gentlemanly than Oiyou…"

"I thought you might need some proper food after yesterday," he replied, handing her the tray. She took it and eagerly dug in, noting Star once again taking a seat on Lance's shoulder.

"She really likes you. You must be trustworthy. She's psychic after all," she commented. Lance glanced at the contented wish Pokémon and smiled slightly.

"I prefer dragons," he added, as if that action had suddenly made him seem soft.

"Oh, like the champion guy in the Indigo League. And that Johto Gym Leader. Oh, oh, and the Hoenn Elite person. Oh, and I think Cynthia has one too! They're really, really strong, aren't they?" Zenelle remarked, although her attention remained fully fixed upon her food. Lance regarded her, trying to discern if she was being sarcastic or not. Clearly she wasn't. She truly didn't know who he was. He sighed and shrugged, almost dislodging Star. She could find that out herself.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on now?" he asked. Zenelle looked up at Star, who was happily tugging at Lance's hair. "What's your name?" he added, as if the thought had just occurred to him. She wrinkled her nose doubtfully, before deciding to tell the polite and honest truth.

"I'm Zenelle from Twinleaf Town, and that Jirachi isn't mine to start off with. There was this guy who gave her to me 'cos he accidentally chased off my Bidoof – well not my Bidoof, I didn't manage to catch that one – but I was all like 'No, I want a Bidoof', and I saved him from the evil Bowl Cut Brothers."

"You managed to rescue a stranger from Team Galactic?"

"I guessed Star's moves. She's powerful. Really powerful. I mean…" she hesitated, before shrugging. What did it really matter, so long as he agreed to help her? "I'm not the best trainer really, but she worked well… and so I became friends with PT2, and he hated every name I gave him so far, so I just know him as 'Oiyou'."

"Team Galactic were after this 'Oiyou'? What did they want with him?"

"Chiiii," Jirachi told him sadly.

"Um… I'm not sure I can say really. A wish led to him being all good with stuff… you know, like understanding Pokémon, like what they're saying… and he knows everything about them. He's really good at it. We need to rescue him, and my poor Flare. Team Galactic have them, and they're going to use him to get Star I bet."

"I've been unable to find their headquarters as of yet," Lance replied. His voice didn't betray whether he believed her or not, and Zenelle wasn't sure which way she wanted it. Either way, he was going to help her, but what if he then decided to take PT2 into 'protective custody'? Was she going to have to let this strange man take her friend from one cage into another?

"Ji?" Star asked her worriedly. Zenelle waved her hand at the legendary, silencing her. Jirachi couldn't understand the ways of humans fully, so she would be of no help. For now, Zenelle would simply have to use Lance and then get PT2 away from him. She would keep him safe.

"Star and PT2 have a psychic connection. She'll find the headquarters for us… I hope… And… And when we get there, you keep them off me, and I'll rescue Oiyou and Flare, okay? I think your Dragonite will do better than my Tyson will."

"Yes, that could work I suppose, as long as you stay close to me and do exactly as I say. I'd like to meet this 'Oiyou'," Lance decided, making Zenelle tense. She knew it. She wouldn't let that happen.

"We have to wait, though. Star won't be able to sense him until he's fully awake. I think it's like his thoughts are scattered or something," she added, although her voice sounded sad. PT2 had told her that himself. He had told her a lot of things. She was already missing him…

_**II**_

Darkness. Aching head. Ears ringing. Suffocating... Cramped... PT2 tried to shoot up, panicked, before he cracked his head against the low roof of whatever room he was in... He muzzily glanced around. The room was tiny. He was forced to bring his knees up to fit in lengthways and he couldn't even sit straight without whacking his head. This wasn't a room. It was a box... or a crate... or something. It was airless... or at least any air holes were tiny. It was closing in even more, he was almost certain. He was going to get crushed, or suffocate, or... Oh Arceus, he had to get out of here! He was going to die in this place!

"Release me! I beg of you! PLEASE! RELEASE ME!" he screamed, kicking his legs as hard as he could against the sides, although his position made it awkward. "I BEG OF YOU! RELEASE ME! I AM UNABLE TO BREATHE!"

His thrashing got even wilder as he used his whole body, desperately seeking any way out, terrified beyond any comprehensive thoughts. If he had managed to calm down and take note of his surroundings, he would have heard people talking. He would have felt the whole box gently rumbling, perhaps even been able to deduce that he was being transported in some kind of vehicle. He didn't notice any of that. The closed in, suffocating atmosphere left him bewildered and frightened. He only stopped flailing for a few seconds, when sheer terror made him heave, before he threw up.

The air seemed to get even thicker, perhaps because of the smell of fresh vomit, or perhaps because his frantic breathing was using up what little oxygen remained. He started to hyperventilate, still kicking as hard as he could. He felt too hot – were they heating the box up? – and dots were appearing in front of his eyes, marring the darkness with almost comforting white and purple streaks.

"PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU! I WILL NOT RUN! I WILL NOT ESCAPE! RELEASE ME! I APOLOGISE!" he wailed, collapsing, unable to keep up the pace, barely noticing the remains of his last meal swirling around him. He couldn't control his breathing. Even the shouting had made it worse. He was going to die. He was going to die. They were killing him.

"Help... Please..." he gasped out, his frenzied breathing making it too hard to scream anymore. "Zenelle... Help me..."

* * *

_A/N Poor PT2 :( Incidentally, I picture this Lance to look like the anime Lance :D I always pictured him as the youngest of the champions (aside from Green) for some reason, and when I saw the remakes' oa I was just like... nooooo, they're cyrusified my Lance! But the anime Lance is awesome! Go look up the episodes he's in :D Though if you want to picture him looking like the manga Lance, I'm not complaining XD_

_So will this handsome new stranger replace PT2 for our team? Will Zenelle learn to trust Lance? Will our poor PT2 ever get a name that he likes! Find out next *LOUD LORRY RUSHES BY* in Unable to Battle! Ciao!  
_


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